The present invention relates to an aerosol coolant spray for killing and removing ticks. More particularly, the aerosol coolant spray composition includes a coolant material, an essential oil and a diluent material.
The family IXODOIDEA includes ticks which are wingless, blood sucking arachnids. The term xe2x80x9ctickxe2x80x9d also includes two winged parasitic insects. Ticks are parasitic and infect mammals including humans and warm blooded animals.
Traditional methods for treatment and removal of ticks from humans present many problems. These methods of treatment include the use of tick shampoos and soaps, asphyxiation and/or heat. The use of tick shampoos and soaps on humans requires a substantial exposure to harsh chemicals which effect the human skin with rashes, hives and/or eczema. Failure to allow the soap or shampoo to remain in contact with the skin for the prescribed amount of time may result in the tick(s) remaining attached to the human skin, which can lead to infections such as lyme disease.
Additionally, tick removal from humans has also been accomplished by coating the tick with grease, vaseline or nail polish to bring about asphyxiation of the tick. Also, ticks have been removed by touching the head of the tick with a hot match. The aforementioned methods are messy, time consuming, as well as dangerous in the latter case. Further, the mouth parts of the tick may remain in the human skin and become sites of infection as previously indicated causing various skin problems.
Aerosol sprays for killing, repelling and removing ticks from human skin including refrigerants, anesthetic compounds or essential oil within the aerosol cannister have been generally disclosed in the prior art. For example, U.S. Pat. No. 4,834,967 to Locicero discloses a compressible liquid refrigerant in aerosol form to freeze, kill and dislodge a tick from the skin of a user.
U.S. Pat. No. 5,106,622 to Sherwood et al. discloses a repellent composition containing natural essential oils such as citronella, cedar and wintergreen to produce an environmentally safe, topical pest repellent which is effective against ticks.
U.S. Pat. No. 5,414,014 to Schneider et al. discloses an insect repellent composition having one or more anesthetic compounds for facilitating the removal of ticks from the human dermis. The composition also includes a skin permeability enhancing carrier, an anti-inflammatory agent, an antibiotic and an insect repellent.
None of the prior art references teach or disclose the composition of an aerosol coolant spray for killing and removing ticks of the present invention having a coolant material, an essential oil and a diluent material in order to kill and remove ticks in a safe, quick, and efficient manner.
Accordingly, it is an object of the present invention to provide a composition of an aerosol coolant spray for killing and removing ticks from human skin being dispensed from a pressurized aerosol spray cannister.
Another object of the present invention is to provide an aerosol spray composition that consists of a liquid coolant material, an essential oil and a diluent material which allows the safe, quick, painless and efficient killing and removal of ticks from human skin.
Another object of the present invention is to provide an aerosol spray composition for killing and removing ticks from human skin without any deleterious or harmful effect on the human skin of the user.
Another object of the present invention is to provide an aerosol spray composition for killing and removing ticks from an area of human skin wherein the liquid coolant material cools the essential oil which is applied to the tick so as to freeze, kill and dislodge the tick from the specific area of skin that is affected.
Another object of the present invention is to provide an aerosol spray composition for killing and removing ticks from a specific area of human skin wherein a compressible liquid coolant material and an essential oil are in aerosol form for spraying the cooled essential oil directly on the tick so as to freeze, kill and dislodge the tick from the skin of the user without freezing or damaging the skin of the user.
A further object of the present invention is to provide a pressurized aerosol coolant spray composition for killing and removing ticks from a pressurized aerosol spray cannister that can be mass produced in an automated and economical manner and is readily affordable by the consumer.
In accordance with the present invention, there is provided a composition of an aerosol coolant spray for killing and removing ticks from human skin, to be dispensed from a pressurized aerosol spray cannister. The aerosol coolant spray composition includes a liquid coolant material for freezing the essential oil and the cooled essential oil kills the tick on the skin of a human. The aerosol coolant spray composition further includes a diluent material being used as a carrier material for emulsifying the essential oil and the coolant material within the pressurized aerosol spray cannister.
The liquid coolant material is selected from the group consisting of chloroform, ether, fluorocarbon refrigerant R134, liquid air, liquid argon, liquid butane, liquid carbon dioxide, liquid DYMEL(trademark) (dimethyl ether; E.I. DuPont de Nemours and Co. bend, liquid helium, liquid nitrogen, liquid oxygen, liquid propane, and other liquid refrigerant compounds, and coolant materials.
The essential oil is selected from the group consisting of cedar oil, citronella oil, wintergreen oil, pennyroyal, olive oil, eucalyptus oil, geranium oil, rosemary oil, peppermint oil, lavender oil, spearmint oil, pine needle oil, lemon oil, D-limonene, grapefruit oil, lavandin oil, cinnamon oil, clove oil, thyme oil, lemon grass oil, mandarin oil, tangerine oil, orange oil, citrus oil, lime oil, coriander oil, pomegranate oil, walnut oil, peanut oil, corn oil, canola oil, sunflower oil, sesame oil, linseed oil, safflower oil and terpenes.
The diluent material is selected from the group consisting of pectin, gum arabic, trasazapthenth, lecithin, polysorbate 20, polysorbate 60, polysorbate 80, stearic acid, glyceryl cocoate, sorbitan stearate, alginate, sunflower ceramides, guar vegetable gum, xanthen vegetable gum and other naturally occurring emulsifiers.